1. Change your diet. A plant-based and oily fish diet, which includes large amounts of fruits, garlic,vegetables, Tumeric and whole grains, along with meat substitutes like beans, lowers cholesterol naturally.

2. Start your day with oatmeal. Oatmeal/porridge is the best food defense against cholesterol. The reason is that oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which turns into a gel in the body, which helps you feel full and also interferes with the digestion of cholesterol, whisking it out of your body. Oats have a balancing effect on blood sugars also.

3. Get 8-10 hours of sleep a night. Sleep deprivation hikes low-density LDL cholesterol, known as the “bad” cholesterol, contributes to high blood pressure, and leads to overeating. If you snore, or find yourself excessively sleepy during the day, get checked for the common and dangerous sleep disorder known as sleep apnea.

4. Check your Vitamin D level. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to high cholesterol. The body’s ability to synthesize Vitamin D from the sun diminishes as you age. Get your vitamin D levels checked with a blood test. If your level is low, take a daily vitamin D supplement.

5. Get your blood sugar level checked. You should be looking for a fasting blood sugar level of 100 or less. A too-high blood glucose level leads to elevated LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) and high triglycerides, which is a dangerous blood fat that is a cholesterol remnant.

6. Eat less gluten. Our American high-gluten, wheat-based diet leads to obesity and also to inflammation, which research shows may be an even a more dangerous heart disease driver than cholesterol. If you do eat wheat products, make sure they are whole grain.

7. Exercise one hour daily. A brisk one-hour walk will help lower cholesterol, high blood pressure, and build up your heart’s collateral blood flow. Also build in some quality relaxation time into your day.

8. Take a red rice yeast supplement. Red rice yeast is traditionally used in Chinese medicine. It contains a substance that is chemically identical to the active ingredient in a statin drug. Take it with your doctor’s guidance.

9. Dust your food with cinnamon. In one study researchers found that about ½ tablespoon of cinnamon daily cut total cholesterol by 26 percent. Cinnamon is also an excellent way to make heart healthy foods, like low-fat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, taste great, and if you sprinkle it on your oatmeal or other foods, you’ll be boasting your breakfast’s cholesterol-fighting power.